Multi-pin shielded high voltage connector

ABSTRACT

The disclosure relates to a multi-pin high voltage connector which is shielded and field installable and which can be assembled, disassembled and repaired in the field. The connector includes mating plug and receptacle portions, each having a boot which is placed over the wire and contact and fitted into a plastic insert and against a washer wherein the boot makes a seal with the washer under pressure at its rear portion and makes a seal at its forward portion with the plastic insert and boot of the mating member to provide an effectively continuous insulation across the connector members and within the connector around the connection. The connector also includes a continuous metal shield.

United States Patent 91 Glover Nov. 26, I974 [75] Inventor: Douglas WadeGlover, Harrisburg,

[73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

[22] Filed: June 6, 1973 21 Appl. NO..' 367,665

[52] US. Cl 339/60 M, 339/94 M, 339/103 M Primary Examiner-Joseph l-l.McGlynn Attorney, Agent, or FirmGerald K. Kita [5 7] ABSTRACT Thedisclosure relates to a multi-pin high voltage connector which isshielded and field installable and which can be assembled, disassembledand repaired in the field. The connector includes mating plug andreceptacle portions, each having a boot which is placed over the wireand contact and fitted into a plastic insert and against a washerwherein the boot makes a seal with the washer under pressure at its rearportion and makes a seal at its forward portion with the plastic insertand boot of the mating member to provide an effectively continuousinsulation across the connector members and within the connector aroundthe connection. The connector also includes a continuous metal shield.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures g I, I

MULTll-PIN SHIELDED HIGH VOLTAGE CONNECTOR This invention relates to ashielded multi-pin high voltage connector and, more specifically to amulti-pin high voltage shielded connector which is field installable andwhich can be assembled, disassembled and repaired in the field.

Prior art high voltage shielded multi-pin connectors are normallypotted, this potting requiring the use of apparatus not found in thefield or readily usable in the field. It has therefore been necessarythat connection to such connectors be performed away from the situs ofthe end use of the connector, this requiring a great deal of time aswell as the special potting equipment. Such prior art high voltageelectrical connectors, due to the potting, are also not readilyassembled, disassembled or repaired in the field. All of this requiresthat high voltage connections made in the field or repaired in the fieldbe costly and time consuming.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a shieldedhigh voltage multi-pin shielded electrical connector which is relativelycompact, field installable and capable of assembly, disassembly andrepair in the field. This is accomplished by providing a shieldedconnector which does not require potting. Briefly, in accordance withthe present invention, there is provided a multi-pin high voltageconnector which is shielded and field installable and which can beassembled and disassembled and repaired in the field. The connectorincludes mating plug and receptacle portions, each having a boot whichis placed over-the wire and contact and fitted into a plastic insert andagainst a washer wherein the boot makes a seal with the washer underpressure at its rear portion and makes a seal at its forward portionwith the plastic insert and boot of the mating member to provide aneffectively continuous insulation across the connector member and withinthe connector around the connection. The connector also includes acontinuous metal shield.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a multi-pin highvoltage connector which is installable, assemblable, disassemblable andrepairable in the field without special tooling.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a multi-pin highvoltage connector composed of plural interfitting and unconnected parts.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a multi-pin highvoltage connector having a substantially continuous body of insulationformed by plural interfitting and unconnected components.

The above objects and still further objects of the invention will becomeimmediately apparent to those skilled in the art after consideration ofthe following preferred embodiments thereof, which are provided by wayof example and not by way of limitation, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the assembled multi-pin high voltageelectrical cOnnector of the present invention with half of the matedconnector pair mounted in a bulkhead held therein by a lock nut;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the electrical connector in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the socket portion of the electricalconnector of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring first to FIG. ll, there is shown an isometric view of theshielded, multi-pin high voltage connector in accordance with thepresent invention. The receptacle 2 is secured in a bulkhead l by meansof a lock nut 5 threaded onto threads 4 .of a metal shell 3. Rubberboots 11 having contacts 13 (shown in FIG. 4) therein are secured withinshell 3 as will be explained in detail hereinbelow. A portion of ferrule19 with leads 15 extending therefrom is also shown.

The socket connector portion 6 also includes wire 15', a ferrule 19', aback cap 21' threaded onto a metal shell 3' onto which is mounted ametal cap 27 which threads onto the threads 4 of receptacle 2 in amanner to be described in detail hereinbelow. Also shown is the forwardportion of a plastic insert 9.

The receptacle 2 and socket 6 front ends are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thereceptacle 2 including a recess in which one of the boots 11 withcontact element 13 therein is shown. The receptacle 2 also includesflanges 12 therein which mate with depressions 14 of socket 6 to provideproper polarization. The socket 6 also includes boots 11' through whichpins 29 extend from mating with contacts 11..

Referring now to FIG. 41, there is shown a crosssection of the connectorin accordance with the present invention in greater detail. Thereceptacle 2 is shown mounted in a bulkhead l by means of electricallyconducting metal shell 3 and lock nut 5 threaded onto threads 4 of shell3. Shell 3also includes an O-ring groove containing and O-ring 8 wherebyapplication of pressure via lock nut 5 accomplishes a seal between theO-ring 8 and the bulkhead 1. Within the shell 3 is a plastic insert 9having seven apertures therethrough to accommodate the seven incomingwires. The shell 9 is tapered to accommodate tapered boot ill.Positioned within each of the seven apertures is a rubber boot 11 intowhich an electrical contact 13 is positioned, the contact 13 beingattached to lead or wire 15. The lead 15 is electrically connected tocontact 113 externally and then inserted into boot ill, the boot withlead and contact therein then being inserted into the aperture in insert9, this being done for each of the seven wires. A plastic washer 1'7with seven apertures therein through which leads 15 pass is positionedat the rear end of the boots ill between the boots and the metal,electrically conducting ferrule 19. The ferrule 19 applies pressureagainst the washer 17 by force applied thereto by metal back cap 21which is threaded onto threads 22 of shell 3.

The ferrule 19 and back cap 211 apply pressure to washer 117 whichsqueezes the molded shoulder at the rear portion of boot Ill andprovides a seal at interface 23. The boot 11 is made with its internalcavity smaller than contact 13 and wire 15 so that the boot is squeezedoutwardly and causes evacuation of air to form the seal at interface 23,thereby closing off the outside of the system at the rear of theconnector and carrying the insulation back in a continuous mannerthrough the interface point 23. I

The plug portion 6 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has many of the same orsimilar elements as the receptacle 2 and such elements are provided withthe same primed character reference. The plug 6 includes a metallicelectrically conducting shell 3' within which is a plastic insert 11which mates with plastic insert 9. The shell 3' includes a threadedshoulder 33 and a rear threaded portion 35 of smaller cross-section thanportion 35 with a flat land portion 37 therebetween of the same crosssection as portion 35. The plug 6 also includes a back cap 21 threadedonto threads 35 and forcing ferrule 19 against washer 17 which makes aseal at interface 23 with the rear portion of boot 11'. The wire 15'extends through the apertures in washer 17' and is connected to pin 25in the manner previously described. The cap 27 includes threads 39, araised portion 41 and a flange portion 43. The cap 27 is threaded overthe threads 33 and continues to move to the right until the threads nolonger mate and the cap 27 is freely rotatable and held in the positionshown in FIG. 4 by the flange 43 which extends to the land 37, theraised portion 41 being longer than the threads 33. This construction ofcap 27 with a partial thread provides for space saving.

The connector portions 2 and 6 are interconnected by threading thethreads 39 onto threads 4 to pull the plug 6 and receptacle 2 togetherand form a second interface between the boots 11 and 11' at theinterface 29 with concomitant air evacuation to form an area seal at theinterface 29 as well as between the boot 9 or 9' and insert 11 or 11.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a second embodiment of theinvention wherein a plug 6" is shown though it should be understood thatthis embodiment can also apply to the receptacle portion. Here it isdesired to provide an angular bend to the wire at the rear of the plug.This is accomplished by providing a ferrule 19" having an angular bendtherein. The remaining elements are the same as those shown in FIG. 1.

It can be seen that there has been provided a high voltage electricalconnector which is readily installed, assembled, disassembled orrepaired and which includes electrical shielding as provided by thecontinuous electrically conducting elements 19, 21, 3 and 27 of the plug6 and 3, 19 and 21 of the receptacle 2.

Though the invention has been described with respect to specificpreferred embodiments'thereof, many variations and modifications willimmediately become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is thereforethe intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly aspossible in view of the prior art to include all such variations andmodifications.

What is claimed is:

l. A multi-pin high voltage electrical connector, which comprises:

a. an electrically conductive shell,

b. an electrically insulating insert positioned within said shell andmating with said shell, said insert having plural tapered aperturesextending therethrough and a washer positioned at the rear of saidinsert,

c. a tapered boot of electrically insulating material positioned in eachof said apertures and in intimate contact with said insert, said boothaving forward and rearward ends,

d. means applying a force against said rearward end of said boot to forma seal therewith,

e. a mating member forming a pressure seal at the forward end of saidboot, leads extending through said means applying a force andterminating within each said boot and in intimate contact with each saidboot, wherein said means applying a force further includes a ferrulepositioned between said washer and said pressure applying means, saidleads extending outwardly through said ferrule.

2. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 whereinsaid insert, said boot and said means applying a force form asubstantially continuous insulator.

3. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim I whereinthe axis of said ferrule has a bend therein,

4. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1 whereinthe axis of said ferrule has a bend therein.

1. A multi-pin high voltage electrical connector, which comprises: a. anelectrically conductive shell, b. an electrically insulating insertpositioned within said shell and mating with said shell, said inserthaving plural tapered apertures extending therethrough and a washerpositioned at the rear of said insert, c. a tapered boot of electricallyinsulating material positioned in each of said apertures and in intimatecontact with said insert, said boot having forward and rearward ends, d.means applying a force against said rearward end of said boot to form aseal therewith, e. a mating member forming a pressure seal at theforward end of said boot, leads extending through said means applying aforce and terminating within each said boot and in intimate contact witheach said boot, wherein said means applying a force further includes aferrule positioned between said washer and said pressure applying means,said leads extending outwardly through said ferrule.
 2. A multi-pin highvoltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said insert, said bootand said means applying a force form a substantially continuousinsulator.
 3. A multi-pin high voltage connector as set forth in claim 1wherein the axis of said ferrule has a bend therein,
 4. A multi-pin highvoltage connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of saidferrule has a bend therein.